


Slytherin: Philosophers stone

by Arianasarah866



Series: Slytherin [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Dark!Dumbledore, M/M, Mentor!Snape - Freeform, Multi, Slytherin!Harry, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-04-30 12:41:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5164208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arianasarah866/pseuds/Arianasarah866
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU Drarry fic starting from first year based on that old favourite what if Harry were sorted into Slytherin? What if Hagrid hadn't been the one to find Harry? NOTE: No slash in this first book.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New beginnings

“Daaaaaaad, someone’s sent Harry a letter!” Dudley Dursley’s voice rang at an ear piercing level through the perfectly respectable and normal house on Privet Drive making Harry shiver. Who would be sending him a letter? It was a sentiment voiced not a moment later by his large and overbearing Uncle Dursley who strode up to snatch the rich envelope from the hands of his overweight whale of a son.   
“Ha!” Despite the words his usually ruddy skin paled as he turned the parchment envelope over and looked at what looked like an old fashioned seal on the back. “Stuff and nonsense.” Before Harry could even think about objecting the envelope was thrown onto the fire leaving him wondering just one thing. Who?

Harry Potter was an underfed and overworked little boy who looked younger than his almost-eleven years. Even more so because of the clothes that absolutely drowned him (cast offs from the much larger Dudley). Today’s offerings was an oversized jumper that fell almost to his knees and tracksuit bottoms he had rolled up several times that almost fell off him as he walked. The look was matched with messy uncontrollable brown hair that looked more hacked at than styled, and broken glasses. He had no family and no friends. No-one would ever be writing to him. Would they? 

“Boy!” Vernon’s voice brought him out of his reverie with a bump. “Clean the bathroom, and I mean clean none of this wiped over nonsense. Then scrub the kitchen floor, weed the garden and mow the lawn. Your Aunt has more jobs for you at ten.”   
“Yes Sir,” Harry’s voice was small. He was used to being the dogsbody of the household. His tiny bedroom under the stairs was all that he had, and even that he shared with the spiders. He was used to little (if any) food and hard work. And harder punishments. Bruises covered his thin body, most hidden under the too-big clothes of course, where no-one could see, but some faint bruising was always present on his face. Some from Dudley who found it hilarious to attach him, but some were from his Aunt and Uncle who both enjoyed torturing him for failing to achieve the ridiculous work loads they set for him. It was why Harry quickly set to work and the day passed quickly in a flurry of cleaning and chores and cooking tea and washing up before getting handed a hard slice of bread and a slightly dented looking apple as his own one meal for the day. He was shut back into his cupboard to eat them with a meager cup of water to rinse them down and a rare bruise on his cheek (for cheeking his Aunt by not passing something immediately due to not wanting their tea to burn).

Settling down on the pile of boxes and blankets that passed for his bed, Harry arranged his thin pillow as best he could and picked up the tiny tin toy soldiers he had rescued from the cupboard when he had first been put in there, not able to see them in the dark, but at least able to trace out their features and wish he were somewhere else. His eyes closed as he drifted off into a familiar dream. Something about flying motorbikes and flashes of green and…

 

BANG BANG BANG

Harry sat up, disorientated with no idea of the time or even a way to get out of the cupboard until he was let out. 

BANG BANG BANG

It was the front door. He could hear Vernon getting out of bed and walking downstairs, grumbling about the late hour. One ear pressed to the door of the cupboard, he could hardly hear the conversation that took place, but the next moment the cupboard door blasted open away from him and Harry gasped, one toy soldier still in his hand as a man in a dark cloak, almost bat like, swooped down and pulled him up from the cupboard. 

“This is how you treat your nephew?” The voice was accusing and Harry could only gasp, unsure what was going on as bony fingers felt down him, a dissatisfied noise meeting whatever it was he found. “Come Harry. We are leaving.” There was no explanation, no introduction, nothing. But Harry felt whatever this man was, it couldn’t be any worse than where he was and so he trotted along at his side, shying away from the light that shone down on the fresh bruise on his cheek, aware of sharp eyes on him. Nothing was said as they walked out of Privet Drive, the man taking his wrist, not unkindly, and turning on the spot. Apparating them both away, the toy soldier still held in Harry’s hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The house they appeared in was nothing more than a terraced house, and Harry was ushered inside before he could ask any questions about what had just happened. He felt more than a little sick at however they had just appeared here, and he was pressed to sit down in a hard chair, quickly shoving the toy soldier in his oversized pockets as he was handed a copy of the letter that had been burnt only the morning before. 

“I don’t understand?” Harry’s voice was quiet, as if he expected trouble, and he stared at the parchment without opening it.  
“Open the letter.” The order in that tone was clear and Harry reacted, immediately doing what he had been instructed, scanning the letter before looking up.   
“I…Is this some kind of joke?” His jaw fell open and he blinked up at the oddly dressed man whose name he did not know.  
“No joke. You are a wizard. I was sent to deliver your letter, but it seems you are more than a little…well your situation is not what I expected.” Further muttering about Albus Dumbledore (whoever he was) could be heard from the man although it was not particularly aimed at him, and Harry took the opportunity to read the letter again. A wizard? A [i]wizard[/i]. It took him a few moments to realize than the man was speaking to him again.  
“Sorry? Excuse me I mean…uh…”  
“You must be tired. I will show you to a room where you may sleep tonight. Tomorrow we will decide what to do with you.” 

The man stood up and Harry followed without question. He was almost surprised when he was shown to an actual bedroom. The bed was narrow and made up in dark green, but it was a really really proper bed.  
“I…I can sleep on the floor Sir,” Harry quickly said, assuming that this was the man’s bed. He would not want to take it.  
“Severus,” the man spoke again. “My name is Severus. And this bed is for you to sleep in Harry.” There was an almost gentle edge to his voice as he walked to a dark wooden dresser and extracted a clean and soft pair of pyjamas, a little too large for Harry, but they would do. “I’m a Professor at Hogwarts. And you will sleep here until tomorrow when we will try and find something more…suitable for you.” The pyjamas were held out to Harry who took them, his eyes wide. He made no move to put the pyjamas on or to move towards the bed, but instead stared at the floor as his stomach gave the sort of grumble it usually made throughout the night. Hunger. 

The man, Severus, looked down at him severely for a moment. “Perhaps cocoa first,” he allowed. “And a sandwich.” Harry didn’t move. “Leave the pyjamas here Harry, you can change when you return.” Direct orders seemed to work best and not for the first time Severus wondered what the hell had been done to the supposed Savior of the Wizarding World. The Chosen One. The bruises, the way the boy acted, how painfully thin he was, the clothes. Severus had to wonder what Albus had been playing at leaving the boy there for eleven years. His expression gave nothing away though and instead he walked, clearly expecting Harry to follow, to a small kitchen, telling the boy to sit down whilst he flicked his wand and rustled up two mugs of warm sweet cocoa and a plate of sandwiches for the small boy who after some encouragement tucked into them as though he hadn’t eaten all week. Maybe he hadn’t. As soon as he had drained the mug of cocoa though, he yawned and Severus nodded, one hand gently placed on Harry’s shoulder as he led him back towards the small guest bedroom, leaving him to change and sleep. When he looked in on the boy fifteen minutes later he was fast asleep, his old clothes folded neatly on the side. Severus walked over to them and picked them up with every intention of throwing them out. They were not fit to wear. A small rusted tin soldier fell out of the pocket and after a moment the Potion’s Master picked it up and placed it on the side where Harry could see it before taking the clothes and leaving the boy to his rest. Merlin knew he needed it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry wakes and hears voices in the night. Will he be allowed to stay or will he have to return to the Dursleys?  
> A shorter bridge chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah thank you to everyone who liked and commented on this! You really made my day :D

Angry voices woke Harry, and the small boy blinked as he tried to place where he was. He was warm. Fed. It was hard to believe and even though he could hear voices, he didn’t yet want to move.  
“…and you said he was safe? Does safe mean abused Albus? How could you do that to Lily’s son?” it was the man. His rescuer.  
“Now Severus, let us not exaggerate. The boy is well. A little underfed I’ll admit but…”  
“A little underfed? Do you think Lily would have wanted this for her son?” Severus sounded angry, Harry shrunk back in bed, unsure what he was meant to do and so he pretended to be asleep.  
“I think Lily wanted him to be with family.” The older voice sounded certain.  
“No Albus. He’s not going back there. I won’t allow it.” Severus sounded equal parts certain and annoyed.  
“You plan on raising the boy?” There was a laugh. “James’s son?”  
“I won’t send Lily’s son back to that. I won’t.”  
“Don’t tell me you are fond of the boy already?’ Another laugh met the words and Harry shifted, freezing as the bed creaked under him. Footsteps headed down the hallway towards him and for a heart stopping moment Harry heard the door open, his eyes closing as he focused on breathing evenly. _Don’t be mad don’t be mad don’t be mad._ There was a moment of stillness as if he were being considered carefully and then the footsteps retreated, the door closing and muffling the conversation. His body relaxed, glad in some small way that he was still there and hadn't been caught eavesdropping which seemed an awful thing to do! Without even meaning to, Harry slipped back into sleep once more as he ran over what he had heard the voices discuss. Lily and James? These people knew his parents? And Severus wanted to keep him? The idea of it made him smile even as he drifted off.

He had no idea what time it was as he woke once more. This time the room was light, although the worst of the sun was hidden behind thick velvet curtains, and Harry sat up, stretching with a yawn, brushing sleep away from his eyes. It took a good minute for him to notice a tray with food on set on the cabinet to one side of the bed, green eyes wide as he looked at the glass of orange juice and a breakfast that looked still warm. Sausages, bacon and eggs and toast, all for him! Happiness washed over the boy as he thought about the fact that the food had been made for him. Someone had cared enough to make something for _him_. Tucking in, he hardly noticed when the door opened a few moments later.  
“Good morning Harry. Did you sleep well?” Severus stood in the doorway, dressed in black robes much as the day before. Harry nodded, his mouth full of toast as he hastily tried to swallow.  
“Yes Sir, thank you sir!”  
“Severus. Not Sir.”  
“Thank you Severus,” Harry corrected himself, putting down his cutlery as he looked up at the man. “You didn’t have to go to all this bother for me! I could have made breakfast, I’m good at that!”  
A look that could have been pain washed over the man’s face and he shook his head. “You are welcome. When you are finished perhaps you will dress yourself. I’ve put fresh clothes on the chair for you. We will visit Diagon Alley today with another and purchase such items as you need for here and Hogwarts.”  
Harry considered that for a moment and then his skin flushed in shame, hanging his head as he spoke more to the man’s feet than the man himself. “Si…Severus I don’t have any money.” And the Dursleys were not likely to give him anything. Severus shook his head.  
“You do Harry. Your parents left you more than enough. I’ll show you today. Now finish up, wash and dress. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” And with that Severus walked out leaving Harry to quickly scoff down the rest of the food with the air of one who did not know when they would eat again, then he moved, quickly washing and brushing his teeth with a finger in the absence of a brush, pulling on clothes that fitted him far better than anything he had ever had before, even if they were still a little too big. And with a glance in the mirror as he attempted to flatten his hair, Harry moved, balancing his breakfast tray with the empty dishes carefully as he moved down the hallway to the kitchen.

Severus was waiting for him and to his surprise there was a woman with him. His wife? Harry awkwardly put the tray down and hovered around by the counter.  
“Harry this is Mrs Malfoy the wife of a good friend. She is coming to help us with your shopping list,” Severus spoke and Harry looked up at her, offering a shy smile.  
“Hi Mrs Malfoy!”  
“Hello Harry.” Her eyes raked his forehead and landed on his scar before moving over the fading bruises there with some distaste. “I see what you mean Severus. He is under fed. No doubt you will sort that out.” Her words had Harry shift uncomfortably, unsure what was going to happen anyway. Surely he would have to return to the Dursleys at some point? It was too good to be true to think he wouldn’t and that old man whose voice he had heard had said he ought to.  
“A few nourishing potions should help with that,” Severus replied, gesturing for Harry to move towards him and he took the boy’s arm, letting Narcissa leave the room with a crack before he too apparated, taking Harry with him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shopping shopping and shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for slow posting. Health issues mean typing takes longer than I would like! Thanks to every one who left kudos or comments :)

The street they appeared in was almost too much and as Harry tried to recover from the stomach churning sensation of apparition, his senses were almost assaulted by the noise, smells, sights of Diagon Alley. Everything about it was alien and for one long moment Harry had to wonder if he was dreaming as he watched a small child balancing an ice cream almost as large as he was, each scoop flashing different colours with what looked like chocolate skiers sliding down the sides and around. A loud squawk drew his attention and he turned, pressing closer to Severus almost unconsciously as he looked at the window full of owls in cages, the smell of it almost too much and the noise even worse. His mouth gaped, taking in witches and wizards and animals and children and…

“Come along dear, let’s not dawdle like peasants,” the extremely blonde woman spoke kindly, but her posture was perfect and she held out a hand to him, holding his firmly as she led them through the alley towards a large white building that seemed to dominate the whole alleyway at one end. His gaze raised to the golden letters that announced the place to be Gringotts, whatever that meant, and he was even more surprised to see odd looking creatures working there. It looked almost like a…bank?   
“Mr Potter wishes to make a withdrawal,” Severus slid his key over to one of the creatures who stood to peer at him before nodding. “And I have a message here.” He handed the parchment to the goblin who read it several times before nodding again.   
“Follow me.” The goblin led the way and Harry went after, his hand still in Narcissa’s, at least until they reached what looked like an odd sort of roller coaster.   
“Narcissa will meet us at the entrance. Come on Harry.” Severus helped him into the cart, sitting behind him where he could hold him securely as the goblin started the cart rolling.

It was the best ride he had ever been on and Harry was almost giggling as he rolled out of the cart to stand beside a door, Severus handing the key over. His eyes widened at the sight of what lay within though. Piles of gold and silver and jewels. “Your parents left this for you,” Severus said, his eyes almost sad as he looked at some of the jewels within.  
“I…I’m rich…I mean…I dunno. What do I need?” Harry looked up at the dark clothed man for advice, letting Severus guide him in how much to take, letting the goblin lock up the vault before they again climbed into the cart.   
This time they stopped at a smaller vault and the goblin stroked his finger down the door to open it, Harry unable to stop himself peering as Severus swept up a tiny paper clad package and pocketed it.   
“What’s that?” He couldn’t help but ask.  
“Something that need not concern small boys,” Severus replied severely and Harry immediately cowed, not wanting to upset the man who had been so nice to him. He knew when to keep quiet and not ask. The journey back to the surface was quiet and Harry was more than content to take Narcissa’s hand as she led the way back into the bright alley, the sunlight making him blink after the cool darkness of the bank.

He had lost track of how many shops they had visited, he was wearing a whole new outfit, carrying more bags of stuff than he had ever had before and Narcissa had even bought him an owl for an late birthday present, something of his very own. Harry’s expression had lit up and he had hugged her without even considering it. No-one had ever bought him a present before. She had seemed almost surprised but had patted him kindly, looking almost upset for a moment. Severus had ensured that everything from his school list had been bought and then the three of them had settled down for an ice cream from the shop with the flashing colours. Harry hadn’t been able to decide what he wanted and so he had gone for Every Flavour Ice Cream and was entirely impressed with how it flashed in front of his eyes.  
“Of course I will be back tomorrow with Draco to buy his supplies,” Narcissa commented to Severus as Harry ate his ice cream. Harry listened in, licking the last drips off his spoon. “Perhaps he should meet Harry? We could call in afterwards for late afternoon tea? It would do the boy good to know someone, a friendly face for school so to speak.” Harry didn’t offer his opinion because they hadn’t asked, but he was pretty sure that he would be happy to do anything they had asked of him because they both seemed entirely on his side. They were both looking at him as he finished and he offered a shy smile. “Harry?”  
Harry looked almost surprised, they cared what he wanted? “I…sure?” He wasn’t sure who Draco was, but if he was someone who could be friends and was going to Hogwarts too then that sounded pretty cool.

Narcissa was quick to leave them there, surrounded by bags as she returned to her own family, and Harry looked up at Severus. “Th…Thank you Severus,” he offered shyly. The tall man looked almost surprised. “You are welcome Harry. Come. Let’s go home.”   
Home. He had a home. Even if it was only a temporary home. The idea of returning to his permanent home made his heart sink though and his gaze shifted downwards. “Don’t worry about that,” Severus spoke as though replying to his thoughts and Harry’s eyes widened, but he said nothing, instead helping the other carry the myriad of bags they had acquired, and his new owl back to the Leaky Cauldron.

Laying on his stomach on the bed he had slept in the night before, Harry was more than stuck in to one of the text books that he had been bought, everything seemed so entirely interesting and his owl (he had called her Hedwig after reading the name in one of his books) was preening in her cage and there was the scent of dinner in the air and before Harry knew it he was asleep, thin body sprawled out on the bed without a care. Which was how Severus found him later when he failed to come down for tea, an oddly soft sigh on his lips as he covered the boy up, moving the book to one side. How quickly Harry seemed to belong there. But Harry was not his and Albus could only be put aside for so long. Severus was not looking forward at all to the confrontation that was surely coming.


End file.
